No More Key Fobs! Startup Swag That Doesn’t Suck

Napoleon Bonaparte said, “A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of colored ribbon.” The modern corollary: a techie will promote your startup if you give him a cool sticker.

Laptop stickers are a major source of free advertising in tech hubs, but in order to produce slick images that make defacing a Macbook defensible, you need quality swag that wasn't dashed off at a garden-variety print shop.

Promotion is a huge part of producing products. Whether you want to reward Kickstarter backers or outfit your team for a trade show, the vendors on this list will help your brand stand out.

Standout Stickers makes adhesive artwork for a diverse group of companies ranging from the staid (WebMD) to the supernatural (GhostBusters). They can make stickers in a wide variety of shapes: circles, squares, ovals, and aguitar-playing dog.

On the hunt for a retro sticker sheet? Or something die cut? Check out StickerMule.

Even lowly buttons and fridge magnets deserve careful consideration. Pure Buttons puts care into the most mundane details. Want to know what the back of a button looks like? They do too.

If you need a wide variety of products like T-shirts, hoodies, and brochures, turn to JakPrints for full swag service. They're like VistaPrint's younger, hipper sibling that produces band tees and concert lanyards instead of polos and trifold brochures.

Badges in apps? Tired. Real badges? Wired! Check out the embroidered badges available from sites like Patches R Us and give your project street cred that Foursquare never could.

Photo: Patches R Us

From Super Mario Bros. to World of Warcraft, coins are the de facto currency in videogames. Why not bring them into the real world to promote your videogame project?

Challenge coins are popular keepsakes in the world of military service, but are increasingly making their way into geek circles. Coins for Anything, for instance, produced souvenirs for the DefCon hacker conference.

Photo: Coins For Anything

Millions of theme park aficionados and sports fans collect pins. Why not make them work for startups? They may not be a great strategy for an enterprise software company, but if you run a project focused on fun, food, or fashion, loyal fans will rep your Pins For Anything product on their lapels.

Photo: Pins For Anything

The Ernst & Young logo has range: There is the five-story-tall version in Times Square and its Liliputian counterpart set in the center of a candy cane.

For a scant few hundred dollars, your trademark, too, can be captured in crystalized sugar. To leave a sweet aftertaste, commission some edible swag from the confectionary co., Sticky.

Photo: Sticky

Is your startup too special to buy off the rack? Turn to a company like Cut Laser Cut that specializes in high-design, limited-edition keepsakes.

When Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian wanted to make a special something to promote the launch of Hipmunk, his travel startup, he commissioned a factory in China to make a soft PVC luggage tag.

It takes longer, and will cost a bit more than putting your name on a pin, but there is no substitute for something bespoke. If you want to make a compelling promo, your first stop should be Alibaba, which is basically Facebook for factories.

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